Container



Patented July 12-, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to improvements in containers, particularly containers'used for holding commodities, such as berries or other smallfruits, for example. 1

An object of the invention is to provide an improved container having transparent walls as the sidewalls and bottoms, for example, whereby a customer can readily determine the condition of the contentswhich are hidden by the upper layers thereof. a

A specific object of the invention is to provide a box such as a berry box having transparent walls formed of transparent or semi-transparent materials, such as fcellophane'f, waxed paper, or

the like, and corner posts which may be formed of thin wood but preferably are formed of cardboard orhea'vy paper, anda wire'reenforcing member which stiifensthe structure and defines the lower corners of the containers and which does not appreciably lessen the visibility of the lower contents of the box. While the use-of transparent materials in walls of containers has heretofore been proposed, it is novel insofar as I am aware to utilize a simple wire stiffening member which coacts with the vertical corner structure of the containers and also cooperates with the transparent sheet material to provide adequate visibility of .the lower contents for inspection purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box structure of the character mentioned having, integral transparent walls which are so formed as to provide for ventilation of the contents and which will permit excess moisture to drain from the box.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying, drawing, wherein Fig.1 is a perspective view of a container embodying the present improvements;

. Fig. 2-is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a broken sectional view through an upper side portion of the container illustrating a loose cover attached to the container construction;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of'a comer portion of a wire frame;

Fig. 5 is a broken horizontal section through a container illustrating a modified construction;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a tion of a modified form of wire frame;

top plan 'view of the comer por-v Flg. 8 is a side elevation of the frame shown in Fig. 'I; and

Fig. 9 is a development of the receptacle or commodity-holding portion of the container.-

In. the drawing, the invention is shown as being embodied in a box such as is suitable for holding berries or other fresh fruit or like com- The container comprises an upper modities.

frame portion indicated generally by the num-" eral III which extends around and defines the 1 upper margin of the'boxr The member I0 is.

provided with legs ll depending therefrom and which may, if desired, be integral with themember III as shown in the drawing. The member l0 and legs ll may be formed of any suitable sheet material such as cardboard, for example,

and may be formed of a single piece of-material, the ends of which may abut as shown at If in leg overlaps a portion of the side wall of the container. The lower ends of the legs arepreferably reduced in their horizontal dimensions as shown for a purpose to be referred to later. Where the container is rectangular in cross section as shown, a similarly shaped lower wire frame 13 is provided which is disposed substantially in the plane of the bottom of the container. The frame" is provided for stiffening or reenforcing purposes with loop formations M at its corners which engage the reduced lower portions of the" legs to stiffen and support the same. As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, this loop formation is integral with the adjacent sides of the frame and provides an L-shaped recess 15 which accommodates the lower ends of the legs as above stated. I

Disposed beneath the wire frame member I3 is a bottom member iii ofsheet material and preferably transparent. shown in Fig. 9, is provided with panelelike extensions I! at its several edges which are indicated by dotted lines I8, which panels, when the same are folded upwardly, constitute the side The bottom IG, as'

walls of the receptacle portion of the container or box. The bottom I6 is disposed beneath the frame B as described while the panels I! extend upwardly on-the exterior of the frame and are attached to the upper frame I. The upper edges of the panels may be folded over the upper edges of the frame l0, after whicha reenforcing marginal strip l9 may be positioned as shown secured together by staples 20 or other suitable fastening means. It will be seen that the panels II which constitute the side walls of the receptacle portion of the container overlap the adjacent portions of the respective legs H and preferably-are not secured to said less so as to provide a space through which air may circulate to some extent and through which excess moisture which may tend to collect in the box may escape. 1

It will be noted that the panels ll are of less horizontal length than the sides of the frame I 2 and that small openings II are provided at the corners of the bottom l8 through which air may enter for ventilation purposes and through which excess moisture may also escape from the box.

The wire frame l3 in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 preferably is of a single piece of material and may have its ends connected together as at 22 either by soldering, welding or any other suitable manner. The box shown is of economical construction and likewise sturdy since the angular-shaped legs, reenforced and held in position by the wire frame l3, provide a rigid structure.

In the modification of the invention shownin Figs. 5 and 6, the wire frame indicated generally by the numeral Ila may be formed of four pieces of wire shaped as shown in Fig. 5 and secured together as at 23 by welding, soldering or other approved means. Where this type of construction is employed, the legs Ha are provided with openings lib through which the ends lib of the frame sections can be passed, after which they are folded over into the position shown in Fig. 5. In Figs. 5 and 6, the other parts of the container are given reference characters corresponding to those used in Fig. I with the exponent a.

In Figs. 7 and 8, a wire frame 24 is shown which is'somewhat similar to the frame shown in Figs. 1 to 4 in that the side portions of the same may be formed of a single piece of wire. The frame shown in Figs. 7 and 8 instead of having the interlocking arrangement shown in Fig. 4 is provided with substantially vertically disposed loop portions 25 and horizontal loop portions 26 which provide an L-shaped space 21 for accommodating the lower portions of the legs of the container.

Covers for the containers may be provided, if.

desired, in; which case, the same will be made preferably of transparent material of the type of which the bottom and side walls of the container are formed. The covers may be secured to the one side of the upper portion of the container as beneath the reenforcing band or strip l8. Such a cover 28 is shown in broken sectional view in Fig. 3.

Other constructions of the wire frames will occur to those skilled in the art as well as various modifications of the other specific features of the invention above described and shown in the drawing and I, therefore, do not wish to be restricted specifically to the embodiments of the invention herein shown and described except as so limited by the appended claims. a

1. A container comprising an upper marginal member of sheet material, corner legs depending from said member, a transparent member supported by said marginal member and constituting the bottom and side walls of the receptacle portion of the container, and a wire member disposed within said receptacle portion at the perimeter of the transparent bottom thereof and provided with corner portions on the exterior of said receptacle engaging said legs.

2. A container comprising an upper marginal a each in engagement with one of said legs.

3. A container comprising a supporting frame of sheet material having an upper rectangular marginal portion and depending corner legs, a receptacle portion of sheet material comprising a rectangular bottom disposed adjacent the lower ends of said legsand provided with side walls secured to said upper marginal portion of the frame, and a rectangular stiflening member of loop form shaped in correspondence with said bottom and disposed within the receptacle portion at the margin of the bottom and attached at the corners thereof to the respective legs.

4. A container comprising a'supporting frame of sheet material comprising an upper rectangular marginal portion and depending corner legs a receptacle portion of sheet material comprising a rectangular bottom disposed between the lower portions of said legs and integral upwardly directed side walls secured to said marginal portion of said frame, and a rectangular member disposed within the receptable portion at the margin of the bottom and provided with corner portions engaging and supporting the lower portions of the respective legs.

5. A container comprising a frame of sheet material comprising an upper rectangular marginal portion and depending corner legs of angular shape in cross section defining the vertical corners of the container, a receptacle portion of sheet material comprising side walls secured to said marginal portions of the frame and a rectangular bottom each edge of which is integral with one of said side walls, and a wire reenforcing member disposed within the receptacle at the margin of said bottom and provided with looplike portions extending between contiguous edges of adjacent side walls into engagement with the respective legs. a

6. A container comprising an upper frame of sheet material comprising an upper rectangular marginal portion and depending corner legs of angular shape defining the vertical corners of the containers, a lower rectangular wire frame having corner formations engaging said legs adjacent the lower ends thereof, and a receptacle member of sheet material comprising a rectangular bottom disposed beneath said wire frame and integral side wall panels overlapping adjacent portions of said legs and extending to and connected with said upper frame.

EMERY C. FURRER. 7 

